The Revenge
by Sjeherazade
Summary: Cassie is going on a trip to another state with her parents. And she's making everyone in school jealous by talking about all fun she will have. No one is talking about anything else. Until Tom starts to ask Jake questions about morphing and andalites....
1. Cassie

**Disclaimer:** Animorphs does not belong to me

**Cassie**

It was the last lesson a Thursday afternoon and I was dying to go. It was not a usual boring Thursday. Not for me. My parents, had assured that I would follow them to a special veterinary meeting that would be held from five o'clock to nine o'clock. This meeting would be held in another State so we would fly there by three. First it would only be a boring meeting but after that I would be helping the others preparing the world's biggest zoo.

Then I had to finish school several hours earlier. And although we would be back before the school finished next day, they had actually asked me free for four days. I was free, for the weekend. I had got four free days instead of two. I was following the second hand on the clock with my eyes. I solved a task in my maths book. I looked at the clock again. Rachel looked jealously to my direction. She had still several hours left. And when she finished school she would only have a Yeerkfree day to look forward toward to, it was what the others had made up to get me just as jealous as I had made them, and it was not really something they could boast about later. What can I say? Nice try? I did actually enjoy my friends' jealousy, and I was only a little ashamed that I was enjoying it, you know, just as ashamed as I could make sure they would still be jealous when I was back. I looked on the clock again and solved another task. My dad was probably on the parking place and waited for me already, but earlier that morning we had agreed that I would not go from the lesson earlier than necessary, I had promised, almost in panic actually. You see, I was very afraid that they would decide to go without me, I had been extra cute to them since the day they begun speaking about that I perhaps could follow them so I did not need any mistakes, not if I wanted to go, and there was nothing I rather wanted in the entire world. I had decided that half past two was a good time. Then, we would arrive at the airport in time and nobody would believe that I was running away from something important. Perfect! Now, it was the right time. It was only ten seconds left. I got my books together and went towards the door. For some reason, I were not running, perhaps I didn't really wanted to make everyone jealous after all, or maybe I just wanted to tease them a little more. I went out of the classroom into the corridor. Yes it was time. I waved to Mr Chapman as we happened to meat. He smiled back at me and waved back. Then I saw my mum outside. I opened the door and ran out to her. Some seconds later I was sitting in the car. We were on our way. WE WERE ON OUR WAY! I was the happiest girl in the world right now. And tomorrow, the entire weekend and at least four off the school-days next week I was counting on I would tease my buddies with photos, brightly-coloured birds feathers, and other funny things, my parents had told me that I could take everything I wanted as long as I didn't hurt the animals, I could even take shells from the aquarium.

Moreover, I would tease my, _special_, friends by morphing the most beautiful and strange things, they had ever seen, but this had to be in the weekend, since I couldn't allow any people but them to watch. This was the best day in my life.

I was really looking forward to see how jealous the other kids at school would be when I came home and told them about all my experiences. And I was sure that everyone in the entire school would become even more jealous. If nothing _bigger_ would happen at home but what's the odds?


	2. Marco

**Marco**

As we didn't had any better thing to do, Jake and I decided to do… Nothing. Which more exactly means: go to his home after school eat some snacks, decorate Tom's sharing-things with shaving cream and ketchup, play some video-games, pillow fighting, walk over to me before Tom comes home to discover our _art_, have some more snacks, talk about what Cassie was doing at the moment, play some more video-games, have another pillow fight, have more snacks, discuss if Tom would make Jake a controller if the found him unconscious, fight, have a new pillow fight, have more snacks, discuss Batman against Spiderman, talk about what Tom would do when he found his things covered with ketchup and make fake calls to Rachel...

"Your turn now" I put the phone into Jake's hand, he took it and made the call, we waited.

"Hello!" a quite irritated voice said in the phone. It took Jake exactly two seconds to come up with something to say. He really has some sense of humour when he wants, that boy.

"It's Cassie, come over, I've found your…" Jake's source of inspiration was out and he desperately looked at my direction for help. I desperately started to tear my own sweater. Luckily enough this was all Jake needed at the moment.

"Your green sweater that you thought you had lost, I've found it" he continued in relief, and smiled thankfully at me.

"I have it on" we heard Rachel snarl in the phone, she really started do get angry now. Even I could hear every word through the phone. "By the way, shouldn't you be on some silly save-the-giant-panda-meeting with your parents?"

"We haven't finished everything at home get, and it's not the green sweater that you are having on I'm talking about, it's the other one. You know, the one you had yesterday, when you were in that romantic horseshit bath whit Tobias" Jake was very red in his face for all his totally unsuccessful tries not to laugh by now. Personally I was lying at the floor, shaking with laughter. Just as Jake had been doing before, when I had told her I was the chimney sweep and asked her to blow the chimney up with ten kilo dynamite so I could find her home.

"Oh _that_ sweater" her voice said, then, the same voice but more irritated. "It's Jake and Marco again, isn't it?" That was too much even for Jake. He fell down on the floor beside me, laughing, and we heard Rachel mutter something and throw the phone on. Then we laughed even more. Until… We started to think upon the next fake call.


	3. Rachel

**Rachel**

I threw the cell phone at my bed. Yeerkfree day, thanks a lot. Right now I would rather have a jerk free day, I swear that if I didn't had to be so careful when I was talking in the phone I would have told them that before I threw the phone away, in a voice that would make both of them deaf. All since I came home from school this day, Jake and Marco had been afflicting me, saying that they were the chimney sweep, the fire department, Mr Chapman, my lost identical twin from Egypt, Cassie… I had definitely got enough of them now. I threw my homework away too, then I went too the bed, threw the cell phone in the wastepaper basket instead. If we were going to have a day off that bastards were not going to have all the fun for themselves, no way. I would take revenge. But how? I lied down on my bed, thinking. Maybe I could acquire Tom and scare them a bit, they had really deserved that, I could morph Tom, arrive at Marco's home, grab both of them and tell them that the Yeerks had taken Ax and that he had told them everything. I could bring a sack with something that I could tell them was Ax's head or something like that. The phone rang again. I hid my head under my pillow. The phone were still ringing. Whining in anger I went to the wastepaper basket and got it.

"Hello"

"Hi it's Santa Claus, you are on my list of incurable cases." Marco again. No one else had came up with something so stupid. Not Jake anyway. I decided to sound afraid. "No, you mean that I'm worse than Jake and Marco?" I pretended to cry. I could hear the boys laughing on the other side. I turned the phone off. And laughed. I would _not _morph Tom. It could be dangerous if he discovered what I was doing, besides, Jake and Marco wasn't worthy of that great jokes. I laughed even more. I had found out how I should take my revenge.


	4. Jake

**Jake**

I were on my way home from Marco when I ran into Rachel, a little too early after that fake calls if you're asking me. She did not seem too happy." Santa Claus?!" She said in a dangerous pitch.

"No, that was Marco" I defended myself and backed away from her.

"Sure! Because you were the fire brigade and Mr Chapman and Cassie right?!" Then Tom turned up just in time. I ran over to him with a roaring Rachel close behind.

"TOM, HELP ME!" I tried to hide behind him.

"Oh no, this is your problem" he laughed as he tried to move out of Rachel's way, but I slipped in behind him again, as Rachel continued chasing me around Tom for half a minute. Suddenly I couldn't run anymore. Tom had caught me. And the next second I had Rachel over me. She grinned.

"Tom, would you like to?" I could see Rachel standing there in front off me with a broad smirk on her face, ready to deliver her judgement.

"Would I like to do what?" I was relieved, the Yeerk didn't know what Rachel wanted it to do.

"Tom, could you give that midget, you know… What he deserve, the special treatment. You are stronger than me so…" did I dare to hope that Tom didn't remember?

"Oh, that special treatment." I saw Tom giving Rachel a smile. No Tom did remember. He definitively remembered.

" NO! MERCY! PLEASE!" Tom laughed and stuck his fingers into my body. I continued to whine and to ask for mercy at the same time as I laughed worse than ever when my brother tickled me accompanied to my cousin's laughter. I could hardly hear Rachel when she told Tom that he himself could decide when I had got enough, as she must take care of Marco too. When Rachel had left, Tom was continuing tickle me some minutes, so I would not get a chance to warn Marco in time. Finally Tom thought I had suffered enough and let me go. When I had stopped laughing and panting for air that much that I was able to walk, we went home. I still laughed a little, and at the same time I was trying to tell Tom what Marco and I had done to deserve what I just had suffered. I think the Yeerk though it might seem strange if he didn't ask I don't know, he asked anyway. It had begun to drizzle, not much, only enough to make a little sound in the trees, we didn't even got wet. After walking some metres in silence we begun to laugh both of us.


	5. Rachel 2

**Rachel**

I was quite pleased with myself when I had left Jake to his fate. But just for safety's sake I hid in a bush, just in case, Tom could still get some strange idea to take him away somewhere. But it didn't seem to be any danger so I sat down in the bush and though for a while. An ant. I would morph an ant. I ran to Marco's home and began.

Some years ago, when we had just started school, we had been at a school trip out in the woods. We were collecting stones and leafs for a project. Marco had brought some medicine as he was allergic to ants. And if Jake had been tickled because he had been mean to me, Marco might be thinking I wasn't fair…

I smiled as I hid in a bush under Marco's window. I morphed the ant and climbed up on the wall, sneaked in through an opening, ran over the floor climbed around in the room, seeking.

There he was. I looked around him first, he was lying on his bed, reading a book. Wait, Marco? Read Never! But at the moment I didn't care. I ran back to his feet, in through his trousers. I gave him eleven bites. I didn't want to kill him after all and I didn't know exactly how much allergic he was.

I jumped down from the bed and hid under it to demorph. To my joy I got my hearing back in time to hear Marco notice that he had been afflicted. I heard a scream, the book landed close to me at the floor and when he got up from his bed I could see that his legs were far too red. I was myself again and I couldn't stop laughing. I exploded in laughter. And Marco heard me.

"RACHEL, WHAT! WAS IT YOU!?"

"Yes but couldn't you…" I laughed almost too much to speak "… Couldn't you just morph it away?"

"NO I CAN'T, AS THIS ALLERGY IS PART OF MY DNA!" I were still laughing when I ran out from there with Marco close behind. I were just too happy. I had got my revenge.


	6. Jake 2

**Jake**

At dinner that evening I were still in such high spirits that I couldn't stop myself from doing some stupid things. I had been up to mischief the entire day and I didn't really want it to end. I spitted a pea out, I didn't even aim but to my surprise it ended up in Tom's ear. He rose.

"Tom, sit down! And Jake do not spit any more food!" I laughed at the situation and promised my dad I wouldn't do it again. Then mum took out a cherry pie for dessert. While I sat there and munched on it, my dad began to talk.

"Boys, you mother and I have something to tell you. We have to leave you for the weekend so you will have the house for yourselves."

"What do you think?" mum asked us and gave us a smile. Not bad, I thought, but it was of course to good to be true.

"Fine, but I will go to that camp with the Sharing this weekend." Our father looked a little nonplussed at first but, of course he immediately find the perfect solution.

"I forgot about that. Tom is it okay if you bring Jake to this camp?"

"No, of course not! If he can agree not to spit food at everyone" Tom said and sneered at me. I stopped blowing bubbles in my glass of juice.

"Allrigt, you'll take him there then" my father decided. Now I thought it was time for me to get myself out of this.

"I can't" everyone glared at me, and Tom turned his head.

"Why not?" I had to force myself to sit down and don't stare at the plate, even if I really wanted to run away. But I could not allow them to have any clue about what I was really thinking about. But I could handle this, I believed. I turned to Tom.

"Because I have promised Cassie to give her some help with the animals this weekend." I explained. But mum wasn't convinced yet.

"Wouldn't Cassie go away too?"

"She will be back tomorrow. Besides, her birthday is on Sunday, and I don't want to miss that". Everything I said was true, but that wasn't enough Tom had one argument left.

"But we will be back at Sunday morning and Cassie's birthday party is in the evening. At least according to the invitation card that you left down here. And I'm sure she'll have patience with your absence on Saturday."

"But…" I tried, but dad had got enough of me.

"Jake, you have not grown up enough to stay at home by yourself for three days"

"But…"

"No buts, Jake. Even during this dinner you have proved this by spitting food at Tom. I will not tolerate this behaviour from someone who wants to take care of the house this long. You will follow Tom to the Sharing and you should be very happy that I'm not giving you a month of detention instead." I got quiet and stared at my plate. A month of detention, would that be worse punishment than three days with Tom and every controller in the entire country? I wouldn't have a single chance to come home without a slug in my head. I wanted to cry, and yell back: _I would rather be grounded for three years then I'm on the Sharing for three days._ But I didn't dare, as long as Tom was there.

"Jake, what is it?" mum said. Dad and Tom had disappeared. How long time had I been sitting there? This didn't turned out the best way.

"Nothing, I'm okay!" I was. I would have the next day to come up with a plan. But still I couldn't stop blaming myself for what I had done. Spit at Tom, been looking at my plate almost the entire dinner and left Cassie's invitation where Tom could see it.

Maybe I could ask if I could go over to Marco right now. I hadn't even finished my thoughts when I heard the lightning. Thunder. I looked out through the window in the hall as I went by. Pouring rain. Besides I was quite sure that my dad thought that I had got away too easy after this pea thing. I decided not to ask, to keep the peace. Instead I went to my room to pack for the camp. Then someone was knocking at my door. Before I had even got a chance to answer the door was opened and Tom came in.

"What's so special with Cassie?" I just stared at him, what did he mean?

"Did you hear me midget? What is it with Cassie? What are you going to help her with about the animals?" I still didn't get what he was talking about, but I thought the best thing would be to play innocent.

"Nothing special" I said as I turned to my drawers again. But Tom wasn't really satisfied with that answer.

"Nothing special? Why did you make so much fuss about ¨Nothing special?¨" I didn't reply so Tom continued. "You are not doing anything special with those animals, do you?"

"Like what?"

"I don't know. But you are not use their DNA in some way?" luckily to me I was standing whit my back against him as he spoke so he didn't notice how shocked I was over his question. I waited with my answer until I thought I had some control over my voice. Then I turned to him.

"What would we do whit this DNA?" I asked him, I was quite happy that I succeeded to hide my growing panic.

"I don't know" Tom replied calmly "maybe…" he sneered at me, and I turned to the drawer again because I felt as I was going to faint. "… maybe you want to change the way you look a little bit?" Now I was sure I was going to faint. But then, without really knowing what I did I rose and turn to him, looking straight through his eyes.

"Who do you think I am? Dr Frankenstein?" I heard myself yell, I was quite pleased over what I've said, but still I wasn't sure it had convinced Tom. "Tom I said I would follow you to this camp, isn't that enough?" Tom grabbed me and pushed me against the wall.

"It's time for a game midget" he said. "I'll say a word, then you'll say the first thing that turns up in your head, ready?" He thought for a while and then. "If I say… Andalite" He was still pushing me against the wall, hard enough to make me a pain, which saved me.

"So you want to know what I'm thinking about when I hear that word? Do you mean, except that I think that my brother had been MAD?" Before I knew Tom had pressed my head down in the drawer. I felt as if I would suffocate and I tried to get up from there to get rid of the pain, but I couldn't move.

"If I say Taxxon then?" I didn't like this, I had started shivering and the tears was on their way too.

"Tom, that hurts" I finally said. And to my surprise, he released me. But he was also blocking every possible way to escape. I was sitting on the floor, still shivering.

"Visser 3?" Tom was watching me in a wicked way. I didn't know what to do.

"Tom, what is this?" I heard how scared I was myself, and I knew Tom had noticed it too. I could see it in his eyes. I turned away and closed my eyes. I didn't want to see this glance anymore. All of my body was shaking now, suddenly I felt how Tom lifted me up in my neck. I heard myself whine in pain. _Don't morph_, I told myself. _What ever you do Jake, don't morph yourself away from this, it have to be another way_. In despair I tried to keep myself from crying.

"What about… Hork-bajir?" I heard Tom ask. The next second he had dropped me. I remained lying on the floor, shaking even more. Tom kicked me with a show of force that throw me into the wall.

"ANSWER, NOW!" he roared and kicked me again. Then I remembered our parents. Were they still at home? Yes, where would they otherwise be.

"HELP!" I screamed, but the word did only hardly slipped before I had Tom's hand over my mouth. I couldn't keep my tears away anymore. While I was sobbing Tom was dragging me to the other side of the room where he found a bat. I felt that he was hitting me, but I didn't have strength left to care about it.

"Each time you are screaming you will have more of that" he told me. Then he became silent, to give me some time to think about his threat, and to give himself some time to come up with a new word.

"Yeerk? What are you thinking about then?


	7. Marco 2

**Marco**

I was taking care of the wounds I got from Rachel's visit for the fifth time when my dad came home with pizza. He noticed the wounds almost immediately.

"Oh no, have we got ants in the house now? And I thought I could take it easy tonight." He placed the pizzas on the table and came to look at my legs.

"It is okay dad, I have already taken care of the ants and the eczemas will be healed tomorrow." I said and gave him a big smile. Of course I could have told him the truth, that it had only been one ant, but he wouldn't believe me. Besides, it still was quite hard to make him believe me.

"So you have already take care of the ants? How could you do that when you're not allowed to use the pesticide?"

"What? But it was an emergency, this time! What do you have in the other bag by the way?" I asked and tried to steal the bag that he tried to hide behind his back.

"What bag?" he replied in an innocent way at the same time as he held it away from me. Suddenly he remembered it. "Oh, you mean this one?" He pointed at it.

"Yes" I looked at him in a naughty way. Then he took up a movie.

"I thought we could just enjoy ourselves today and celebrate that I have got a pay raise." He said innocent. I cheered.

"And I was about to raise your weekly pocket money too, but then I heard something about you that made me reassess", then his eyes became very dark.

"What?" I asked a little worried about the answer.

"I heard that you had been using the pesticide without my permission." I made a stupid sound and looked at him with my mouth open.

"Would you prefer that I let those little bastards eat me up instead?" He smiled.

"You are just like your mother. Let's do this way, I'll wait one week and then I'll raise your pocket money". I smiles again too.

"Yes, by the way, can we eat at the same time as we are watching the movie?" I asked and took the movie from him, and one of the pizzas and then ran in to the TV room.


	8. Tobias

**A/N****: ((thoughtspeak))**

**Tobias**

I was sitting on my favourite branch in the middle of the forest and I was much too wet. I couldn't remember if it had ever been raining this much before. It was cold too, ten degrees below zero at least. I flapped my wings, hoping it would make me a little warmer, it didn't.

((Oh hang it!)) I roared, without caring, that I was using the thoughtspeak that everyone could hear. I couldn't take this anymore. Even as birds use to stay calm during thunders, I spread my wings and flew away. I landed on a log in Ax's glade and morphed into my old body under cover of a big spruce. Then I remembered that you shouldn't be standing under a tree during a thunder, so I went away from it, towards Ax. Ax hadn't seen me. Strange, it should be impossible to sneak on an andalite. Still he didn't discover me until I touched him. Then he looked up at me, with only one of his stalk eyes. He was wet, and he was trembling with cold.

"Ax-man? Are you all right?" He looked weakly at me with two more eyes. I was worried now. Was Ax sick?

"Ax how do you feel? Answer me!" All I heard was a weak mumbling in my head. "Come on Aximili what's wrong? Are you ill?" There was another moan. I became scared and started to yell at him. "AX STOP ACT LIKE A FOOL AND TALK TO ME!" His front legs were shaking and he fell, but at least he replied me, very weakly.

((I'm fine, but it's too cold.)) Then I asked myself how low temperature an andalite could take, as I looked on Ax I was only more worried. There had to be something I could do for him, I thought in despair. Then it hit me, there was one thing I could do.

"Ax, morph human now. We'll going to the mall for some cinnamon buns" I said and smiled at him. "They have open some hours still, and it's not as cold as out here… And the others don't need to know… Besides, if they knew how it is for us two, they wouldn't complain."

At first Ax looked as if he had some objections but I forced him to swallow them.

"And if Jake says anything I will tell him off, big time." I smiled.

((But Tobias, we need to speak with Prince Jake anyway. We need money to do this))

"No, I have some in a hole in my tree, why would we go to see him this late?" The cold had made Ax apathetic and we both needed some warmth to get in a better mood. And as I said, the others didn't have to know.


	9. Ax

**Ax**

I think Tobias was worried about me, he was very kind. I was feeling a little ashamed for I had scared him up, but at the same time I knew it wasn't my fault, I really tried to act normal in the forest, I think the fact that I hadn't noticed him before he touched me had made him even more worried. I had eaten eleven cinnamon buns when Tobias put a cup in my hand.

"Ax, hot chocolate. Drink it, you'll be warm. Besides, it's quite good too." I watched Tobias as he drank half of his chocolate in one gulp. Then I tried mine.

"AAAAAAAA wonderfuuuuuuuuul more!" Tobias looked up from his empty cup and started to laugh.

"Okay, I'll get another one" he said. And soon we sat there with another cup each. Tobias was right. I became warm again, it was good and he seemed to be less worried now too, but soon we had to go back to the forest and freeze again. And to tell the truth, I didn't want to freeze anymore. I was wondering how cold the weather could be on Earth.

"Ax, Cassie and her family is not at home, right?" For a second I almost believed that Tobias could read my thoughts.

"And what does that mean?" I asked anxiously. But in the same second I knew. But he continued anyway.

"Well, I don't think they would complain if someone watched over the barn when they are gone. What do you think? They will not be home again until four o'clock so they will know nothing." I had to agree. Besides I didn't want to freeze anymore.

"Ax, how low temperature can an Andalite take?" Once again I felt as Tobias knew what I was thinking.

"Not much actually, only about thirty degrees below zero" I replied. "I'll survive tonight but it will be horrible"

"Thirty?! So that's why you seemed so rigid in the forest. That's it we'll keep our six eyes on Cassies barn tonight! By the way have you kept your eyes on the watch?"

"It's time-ime to go-oo"

"All right then we'll go!"


	10. Jake 3

**Jake**

I was lying still on the floor. Tom had just throw me across the room and… he had left the door free. If I was quick enough I could escape.

I tried to raise, but it was painful. Suddenly I got help. Tom lifted me up and pushed my against the wall again. I closed my eyes. I was disconsolate and scared, all my body was shivering, I was bleeding everywhere and I had threw up several times, I had tried to hide under my bed, once I had reached a pillow that I had hugged and tried to hid myself behind, trying to do myself so small that Tom would forget I was there, another time I had thrown a stack of books at him and tried to run towards the door.

Now I tried to take a deep breath but it only became a giant sob.

At that moment Tom did the last thing I thought he would do. He wiped my tears and some blood away from my face. I opened my eyes again, I had to see if I wasn't just dreaming what just happened. He stood there between me and the door. His grip was as hard as before, but after all he had wiped my tears away. Was he about to let me go?

"What do you say if I say Andalite?" he asked.

Then I fell, if Tom hadn't hold me up I would have been lying on the floor again. He had already asked me about Andalites. He had asked me for every word I shouldn't know about. He had even asked me about Elfangor. I had enough. I looked straight into Tom's eyes.

"Tom, can't you just tell me what you want me to say so you can leave me alone then?" He just pushed me harder. "Tom that hurts" I started to cry again.

"Why can't you just answer the question?" Finally I got angry, very angry actually.

"Why can't you just go back to your own planet and give me the real Tom back?" I yelled at him.

It was first when I landed on the floor several meters from this place as I realized what I had been saying. I hadn't had a single thought about the Yeerks when I yelled at Tom, I just meant that this was very wrong. The real Tom would never have done this to me. He had beat me before more times then I could count, but never like this.

Suddenly I had Tom over me. Then I noticed that I was lying in front of the door. If I had been just a little faster, this could have been over now.

Tom locked my arms up under his legs, and then I saw his hand coming against my throat. He intended to strangle me.

"No! Tom! Don't do this!" Then I had his other hand over my mouth. I couldn't scream anymore. I just lied there, shivering and crying. I was helpless. For the hundredth time I told myself not to morph. The others could still have a chance. Maybe. If not… It got darker, I was about to die.

I'm not sure if it was something I really heard or if I just imagine I did, but then I think I heard Tom cry.

"No he doesn't know anything. Let him go…" Then I was a Peregrine Falcon, flying over the meadows. The falcon was the morph that I had longed for most. Tobias was there too. And Cassie…

The door was opened. Dad. I could see that he didn't believe his eyes, but he didn't hesitate for a very long time. He almost immediately attacked Tom and tore him away from me.

In the next second I was outside the house, I had fled out in the storm without caring that my parents called me back. I wanted to get away from Tom, and the Sharing and everything.

First I was not sure how far I had run when it happened. I stumbled. And then I woke up in a pool of water. I was wet. And totally exhausted. I started to cry again. Then I looked up. Marco! Marco lived on this street.

I ran to his door and ringed the bell. And at the same time I heard a dog barking. Could it be Homer? Was my family out looking for me? Had Tom killed our parents and… I rang the bell again in despair and again and again, and at the same time I was beating the door and screamed.


	11. Marco 3

**Marco**

I was lying in the sofa, almost asleep. The film was almost finished and I where death tired. The clock was almost ten so I was not very surprised that I was so tired. Then I heard the doorbell. Dad went to see who it was, at the same time as he muttered something about people who didn't knew what time it was. He closed the door to the hall so he wouldn't disturb me. But I was already awake. I stretched myself and went towards the door and opened it. In the hall my father stood with Jake who was soaking wet and badly injured.

He led Jake to a stool and helped him to sit down.

"What's happened?" I heard him ask. I rushed out to them, but I guess I was too shocked to speak so I were just standing there looking like a fool. Fortunately my father had more control over the situation.

"Marco, go get a blanket! And Jake, you have to take off those wet clothes." I ran up the stairs but froze as I heard my farther scream. I ran down again. Dad had take Jake's sweater off and HE HAD BRUISES EVERYWHERE!! I sat down on the stair in shock. The blanket! I was about to get a blanket. I ran up again, took one from a closet and ran down again. Dad took it and wrapped it around Jake. I couldn't stand this any longer.

"JAKE WHAT HAS HAPPENED?!" He didn't reply but I could see he was crying. My dad got up.

"We have to call his parents" I didn't know why but that made Jake react. He raised himself up from the stool and got a firm grip on my fathers arm, and the blanket fell to the floor.

"No, don't call them he'll kill me…" then his voice died. My dad looked on him, he was shocked.

"Who do you mean? Who would kill you?"

"Tom!" Tom, the name echoed ominous in my head, I sat down on the stair again to prevent myself to fainting. I heard my dad come up with several questions.

"Have Tom done this to you?" I could hear him doubt. And then I heard Jake sob. My father forced him to sit down on the stool and wrapped the blanket around him again. Jake looked up in his eyes.

"Please, don't call them" as my dad was still doubting Jake turned to me "Marco help me". Right, I knew I had to do this. I raised and looked at my dad.

"Dad, maybe we should wait until we know what's happening." To my relief he agreed.

"All right, but we have to call a doctor" Jake tried to stop him again, but I was ready.

"Jake, we _have_ to call a doctor" he gave up and I helped him up to my room while my dad went to the phone.

"Can you explain what happened now?"


	12. Tobias 2

**Tobias**

We stared at the note from Cassie.

_Dear Tobias and Ax. They said on the news that it would be __both several degrees below zero and rainstorm tonight so I thought you would come hear sooner or later when it became too cold. I saved some tea and pancakes for you in the basket under the bench. Good Night! _

_Cassie_

Ax looked at me

((How come Cassie knew we would come hear?))

" It is very height human technology." I sneered at him. "I'm not allowed to reveal this important information to some superior species"

((What?! No, come on Toby that was long time ago. And I have apologized)) Ax continued in the same way for a while. I laughed.

((It was a joke, wasn't it?))

"Yes Ax, it was a joke, and don't call me Toby again. If you do I'll maybe tell more jokes." I laughed again and demorphed. As Cassie had placed the tea in a thermos to keep it warm we decided to save it all to breakfast, I borrowed some horse rugs for Ax so he would be warm again and then we fell asleep and we slept quite well until the morning actually.


	13. Marco 4

**Marco**

Dad and I helped each other with a collapsible bed he had taken out for Jake to sleep in. The Doctor had arrived now so I couldn't ask any more questions as both he and my dad were with Jake all the time. But I had got all the answers I needed. I didn't fear for my own and the others lives anymore, Jake was the only one we had to worry about. He had got more injections then I could count. They made him calm, too calm. The doctor had told us not to ask too personal questions, as other patients had told people things they had regret later. Right now it was no danger I thought. He was just staring into empty space while he was examined, still with tears in his face.

I needed something to do. At first I ran back to penthouse and rummaged among my old toys. The doctor wanted some stuffed animal for Jake. He said it could at least give him some safety feelings. After some more rummage I found was I was looking for. A half metre long tiger. It was perfect. I picked it up from the box and ran back to the others and placed it beside Jake in the bed, but I don't think he noticed it. I was still quite restless and searching for anything to do. I could call the others and tell them about all this. I took my cell phone and went downstairs to call Cassie. It was an answering machine that replied. I had actually forgotten all about Cassie's trip. I called Rachel instead…


	14. Rachel 3

**Rachel**

The phone rang again. I rummaged the wastepaper basket for it and looked at the number. Marco. That was enough. I turned the phone off without answering. Then mum called from downstairs.

"Rachel! Jordan! Come down, I want to talk with you!" I sighed. This had been a terrible day from the beginning. I had been sent to Chapman two times because of Marco. Then he and Jake had harassed me for hours and when I finally had found piece to do my homework, mum yelled me down. I tried to calm down again.

"Rachel, this is not a thing I want to tell twice, come down now!" I threw the books away for the second time today and went down. Mum, Sara and Jordan sat there and waited for me. I sat down beside Sara. Everyone seemed worried. Sara was the first one to speak.

"Something has happened, right?" Mum looked as she had waked up from a dream when she heard Sara's voice.

"Yes, something has happened." She looked tired. "It's about your cousins Jake and Tom." Both I and my sister sat still and listened. I wasn't sure I wanted to hear the rest, but I had no choice. "They had a little quarrel earlier this evening" mum continued. "It… strayed off" she got silent. I couldn't stand this anymore.

"Yeah, what?" I had got a terrible lump in my stomach. Then mum slowly opened her mouth and said one of those hundred things I was afraid she would say.

"If your uncle hadn't arrived in time, Jake hadn't survived." The silence that came whit those words made me understand the entire meaning of them. Suddenly I noticed that I was crying. And then an even worse thing hit me. It was my fault. I had been playing with both of them earlier this day. Tom had still been tickling Jake when I went. Had this happened after I left? Could I have helped him? Suddenly I heard Jordan's voice from somewhere far away.

"Is Jake all right?" mum looked at her, still worried.

"I don't know. He ran away after this. His mother called me to ask if he was here." Then it hit me. MARCO! Was it because of this he had been calling? Maybe Marco knew something. I ran back upstairs, in to my room, took the phone and called him. Mum came in after me.

"Rachel are you all right?" I never got time to reply, the next moment I heard Marco's voice.

"Marco. Hey it's Rachel, is Jake with you?" it felt like an eternity before he replied.

"Yes" I sat down on the bed in relief and mum sat down beside me. "Is he all right?" I asked after a while. This time it definitely took longer time to answer.

"Except the fact that he is completely drugged with analgesics and sedatives, he is all right" I sat there silent for a while and thought, then I wiped my tears away.

"Can he speak" I asked.

"Sometimes" was the answer. Sara and Jordan had come in to my room too now. Everyone was watching me.

"Marco, can we come over to see him?" mum started to protest but as it was all right with Marco and I and my sisters was nagging, she finally agreed. Neither Marco nor I had turned the phones of yet so when mum and my sisters sat in the car I pretended to remember something and ran back in again. When I had closed the door behind me I put the phone to my ear again. There was one thing I just had to know now.

"Marco. Does this have anything to do whit you-know-who?" Marco was silent for a long time.

"Both yes and no" he finally said.

"Thanks" I didn't get what he meant but right now I didn't care. I went out to the car.

Marco opened the door and we went in. Marco's dad was talking with someone in another room. Mum went in to them and I followed the others up to Marco's room. Jake was asleep when we arrived. The doctor was still taking care of him. I watched him too. His entire face was destroyed. He had bruises everywhere and two open wounds on his cheek that had been stitched. The parts we could see of his arms and body was the same. He was blue everywhere. Sara went over to him and lifted his hand which was lying on the quilt and hugged it. Jake opened his eyes and looked at her. Then the doctor left Jake with me, Marco and my sisters. None of us said anything. After a while the doctor came back with my mum, Marco's dad and Jake's parents. I panted and stared at Marco. He stared at me. Jake's eyes were closed. Sara placed his hand in the bed again and Jake's mum went over to him instead.

"Jake" Jake sat up as quickly as the lightnings outside when he recognized her voice. "No calm down, Tom is not here, please lay down again." Jake gasped for air. His dad came over to him too and pressed him down in the bed again.

"Tom is not here" he repeated.

"Jake, we have discussed this with Marco's dad" his mum told him. "You will sleep over here until we come back." Jake got another injection to calm down again. Then he slowly turned to his mother and asked the question that finally killed my theory that this had been my fault.

"Does that mean I don't have to go whit Tom to the Sharing?" As it was his dad who replied he slowly turned his head to the other direction.

"No, it will take a while before we trust Tom enough to let him take care of you that long, believe me. But now you should sleep" He placed the quilt over his son who immediately fell asleep I think. Suddenly Jordan yelled.

"What is this? Did Tom try to kill Jake because he didn't want to go to the Sharing?!"

"It don't seem better" Marco said. Jordan burst into tears. I dragged her out of the room.

"Come, Jake need to sleep" I said, as I tried to prevent myself from crying.


	15. Tobias 3

**Tobias**

The next day I, Rachel and Marco discussed how we would tell Cassie about what had happen. Marco had written it down in his notebook and had it open as he went to school, hoping I would see it. I had. I met him outside the school and bombarded him with questions. Cassie wouldn't be back before the school had closed for the day. Jake would spend the day on hospital. They would x-ray every part of his body according to Marco. At twelve I decided it was time to tell Ax. I had been demorphing and remorphing in the boy's toilet. When I came out I almost ran into them. Andy and Tap-Tap.

"So you're back?" I didn't really feel like speaking to them right now. Not after all this about Jake. Maybe that's why I reacted as I did. I don't know.

"Guys, one of my friends survived an attempted murderer tonight. His other friends and I am trying to compose ourselves and I'm NOT in mood to talk with bastards like you. Do you hear me?" They hadn't heard me. Before I knew I hit the wall.

"Did you hear that Tap-Tap? Did he said that he had friends?" But this time I wasn't allowing this. That was the old Tobias. The new Tobias attacked Andy and Tap-Tap. Even if they were one more and much stronger than him. I knew I didn't have a chance, but I didn't care. I just wished it was Tom. I was angry with him and I wanted someone who hurt to avenge everything. And the fact that it was Andy was only a plus in the margin.

To my surprise they backed of. They hadn't expected this from me. But I never got a chance to strike. Rachel stopped me. She turned up from nowhere. I didn't even notice her at first as she was standing behind my back.

"Tobias! Don't do it" I froze. "You can't make anything of yesterday undone by beating this two. They are not worth it Tobias!" I knew Rachel was crying. Even if I still couldn't see her. "Tobias, any day I would encourage you to do this… but can't we let it be today. For Jake" I stared down at the floor. "I think Jake want to see it too, that's it, I think he wants to be with you and today he can't" I turned to Rachel. The truth was that Jake really was with me, if nothing had happened to him last night I would never had challenge them. But Rachel was right.

"Okay, I'm waiting until Jake is feeling better." I turned to Andy and Tap-Tap again. "Actually I don't have time for them right now anyway."

"Oh he hasn't got time?" Andy laughed. At first I was about to go and don't bother about them anymore, but instead I took one more step against him.

"And believe me Andy, you should be very happy I haven't" then I wrapped my arms around Rachel and went away.

After that I decided to stay in school for the rest of the day. Most to tease Andy and Tap-Tap. For some reason they had been taken of the fact that the beautiful Rachel had followed me and even let me hug her. Actually I was quite satisfied.

When school was over I demorphed and flew away to find Ax. He wasn't in Cassie's barn, or in his own place. He was gone. Had Tom beaten him up too? I laughed at myself. Of course he hadn't. But I decided to tell Marco anyway. I flew back to the city and morphed in an alley. I hoped to find Marco at the mall. But instead I ran into Ax and Erek. They sat there and talked about something much too complicated for me. But I walked over to them anyway.

"Hi guys!" I acted happy and sat down with them. Then I lowered my voice. "Something has happened. Erek can you make so we can speak uninterrupted?"

"Sure!" Erek created a hologram which he was able to hold for about thirty minutes, as long as it took for me to tell them. Then he dropped it in shock, fortunately he was able to keep his own. Ax looked at Erek, then at me and then at Erek again.

"It's only Cassie left" I said. Erek nodded.

"I saw her walk in to the library some hours ago. She looked very fascinated so I think she's still there." And then we left, without a word.


	16. Cassie 2

**Cassie**

I smiled. Yesterday had been fun. I had acquired many new animals which I was dying to show the others. But they were still in school, and I had a free day. I went to the library to read about one of my new morphs, one of the most poisonous snakes in the world according to my dad. As I sat there and read beside the window Rachel came over to me.

"Cassie, do you have time for me some minutes?" she asked. I closed the book and boiling with curiosity I followed her. She went to one of the study-rooms and opened the door. I went in and caught sight of Marco sitting in the most lazy way in a comfortable sofa. He looked up when I came in. But it was first when Rachel said:

"I'll tear the handle if someone is coming" at the same time as she tore the handle up and down, I understood that something was wrong. Rachel closed the door behind me and I stared at Marco. He had raised and came towards me.

"Cassie, I think you should sit down". He seemed tired. He wasn't joking.

"Marco what is it?" He forced me to sit down in the sofa and sat down beside me. He didn't even look at me; he only stared at his own hands and sighed. And then…

"It's Tom. He tried to kill Jake last night." I just stared at him.

"You are joking now, are you?" I couldn't say anything more. But deep in my heart I knew that not even Marco would come up whit such jokes but I refused to believe it without question it. When he didn't answer I even got new hope.

"Marco. This is a joke, right? Right? Marco?" Marco still looked in another direction. "Marco?"

"Jake has been in the hospital the entire day. The doctor who looked at him yesterday wanted to r-ray him. And Jake has decided…" Finally he looked at me, and then he continued. "He has decided not to morph the wounds away. You know, to make Tom believe he did… a mistake". I felt sick. Marco didn't joke. All that he had told me had happened.

"Where is Jake now?"

"At my home I think. If they didn't wanted to keep him at the hospital tonight". Then we woke up as Rachel tore the handle. And she didn't just tear it she opened the door, rushed inside and slammed the door. The next second the door was opened again and there he was. Tom.


	17. Rachel 4

**Rachel**

I had found Cassie and bring her to Marco. I wasn't very jealous at him. Ax, Tobias and Erek had told us where to find Cassie. They were in the library too. We had draw lots about who of us who would tell Cassie what had happened to Jake, and Marco took the blank. Now he would tell Cassie. I sat outside with a book in my hands when Tom suddenly turned up and greeted me. I jumped up and gave him the chilliest reply. Then I pretended I couldn't open the door to get a reason for tearing the handle and warn Marco and Cassie. I rushed in and slammed the door behind me. I had no time to explain. Tom had already come in.

"Rachel, wait! I can explain." I could see Marco and Cassie in the sofa. Cassie looked totally inconsolable. Then she changed. She jumped up from the sofa ran over to Tom and before he got any chance to react she had slapped him in his face, which I'm sure everyone in the library could hear. And then she disappeared.


	18. Marco 5

**Marco**

Tom was totally surprised and stared after the one who had beat him.

"Who was that?" Then I thought it was time to tell him a little story. Or, not a story maybe it was quite close to the truth actually. Some of it was actually the full truth.

"That was Cassie, Jake's girlfriend. We just thought she wanted know why Jake would miss her birthday". As you see, that was not a complete lie. The only thing I had lied about was that Cassie was Jake's girlfriend and that was only a matter of time. Tom had seen his mistake anyway.

"Is Cassie and Jake…" He looked as if he would break down. I was quite pleased with myself. Marco the Magnificent strikes again.

"Cassie wait!" Tom ran towards the door but Rachel got in his way.

"Wait have I got this right. Did you do this things because of some MISUNDERSTANDING?!" the door was opened again and Cassie came in with her face covered with tears. After her came Ax, Erek and Tobias.

"Tom, you said something about that you could explain, you can start when you want. Rachel looked at Cassie.

"He don't need to Cassie. He did it because of some misunderstanding. Isn't that so Tom?" Cassie stared at Tom in many seconds.

"Misunderstanding?" She was still staring at Tom. Suddenly the door was opened again, this time by Mr Chapman, Visser 3 in human morph and several other high ranked controllers. Chapman was the one who came in to the room first and he immediately caught sight of Cassie's tears.

"Cassie what's happened?" Cassie totally lost control over her feelings.

"NOTHING HAS HAPPENED MR CHAPMAN, EXCEPT THE FACT THAT THIS BASTARD TRIED TO KILL HIS BROTHER YESTERDAY, WITH NO REASON" She pronounced every single syllable in the last words and then she forced herself out of the room, Rachel followed her.

"So The Spoiling will have a meeting" Tobias said and glared from Chapman to Tom. Wasn't it The Sharing that started all this. Now every controller in the room stared at Tom. He looked down at the floor. Tobias snorted loudly and left the room together with Ax. The Spoiling, did I hate the fact that Tobias came up with that before me or what?! Chapman glared at Tom.

"Explain yourself!" he roared.

"It's not much to explain" I interrupted. It was only I and Erek left, and as Erek pretended to be a controller, we can say I was alone. "Tom was a little irritated that his brother didn't wanted to follow him to the camp with… The Spoiling. As he didn't wanted to miss a friend's birthday." I knew that they wanted me to go so they could speak. So I went towards the door. But in the last moment I turned to Erek. He couldn't go away as he wanted anymore. "Erek, I really don't get why I nice guy like you are coming along with that filths." I said and glared one last time at Tom.

"All people from The Sharing isn't…" Erek looked at Tom for a while before he continued "…like him." He had pronounced The Sharing syllable by syllable so no one would get that he really liked The Spoiling more.

"Maybe not" I was about to leave when Tom called me back.

"Marco wait!" I stopped and turned my face to Tom to show him that I was listening.

"I actually wanted to follow mum and dad to your home last night. I wanted to ask Jake to forgive me but they didn't want to take me with them, and I understand why, I really do. Can you tell him that?" Without answering I left and closed the door behind me. At the same time I had a strange feeling that it was the real Tom who had spoken.

Cassie was still crying. What a horrible day. And that night then. Jake had woke up several times during the night. Screaming, crying, and totally convinced that everyone in the entire world wanted to kill him. As a result I hadn't got any sleep either, and that was all Tom's fault. Still I had laughed a lot when I woke up and noticed that he cling to the tiger I got for him, as a five-year-old.

"Should we wait for Erek? I asked when I found the others outside. Tobias shrug his shoulders.

"No, that would be suspect. We can talk with him later. He knows were you live, right?" Then Cassie went and the rest of us followed her.


	19. Jake 4

**Jake**

I didn't have a chance to lie in the bed and pretend that I had been dreaming everything. The pain in one arm reminded me before I was even really awake and when I tried to move I felt the pain everywhere.

I turned my head and discovered that Marco was gone. Then I wanted to know what time it was. I turned to the clock. Quarter past ten.

Then I heard Marco's dad talk with someone downstairs. I knew from what they said that they were ambulance staff. I hid under the quilt and cried. I couldn't bee that hurt that I needed an ambulance. No way. Maybe I should morph the wounds away anyway.

I heard someone open the door, and then someone removed the quilt. I knew this man, he was a controller.

Only a coincidence I thought in despair. This was only a coincidence, nothing to be afraid of.

His colleague came in, I recognized him as a controller too. No, this was not a coincidence, but what could I do. I could only come up with one thing.

"I will not go with you before I have talked to Marco!"

"Marco is in school" Marco's dad had came in. "You don't need to stay at hospital, they just want to make an X-ray. That hurts, right?"

One of them came closer but I moved away.

"No I'm not going! LET ME BE!" I had just made them angry with me.

"That's enough, we don't have time for this." Suddenly one of them attacked me and injected something. I screamed and tried to run away, but I didn't come anywhere. I felt foggy, completely gone. The last thing I saw was Marco's father who was shaking me. Then I disappeared.

When I woke up I was in the hospital. Marco's dad was still with me. My own dad was there too. I looked up at them.

Then I remembered the ambulance staff.

I gasped and sat up in the bed, prepared to hear a Yeerk in my head, but there was silence. Then I was aware of my dad again.

"Those two from the ambulance got fired" I stopped shivering.

"What?"

"They had no right to drug you just because you didn't want to go with them. Marco's dad took you here." As I watched Marco's dad I remembered that I had seen him the seconds before I passed out.

"Do I have to stay here?"

"No"

"And you are not angry with me?"

"Why? Because you got scared and didn't want to go by the ambulance? That happens all the time." He was right, that wasn't a big deal. Then I rested until I could go home to Marco's again.

After all this I was lying on the sofa in Marco's living room with a blanket over me. Marco's dad came in to me now and then to ask me how I felt, until he had to go to work, but then I was asleep.

**OK I know, this chapter wasn't the best. But it's important for the rest of the history**** so I decided to translate it anyway. **


	20. Cassie 3

**Cassie**

We met Marco's dad outside their house. Erek had caught up with us after the meeting in the library. Marco went over to his dad and the rest of us waited behind him.

"What did they say at the hospital?"

"No broken bones anyway" then he looked at all of us. "Are you staying for a long time?" he asked.

"I think so!" Marco's dad followed us inside again and went to the kitchen with Marco waiting outside the door.

"Here. It's money for pizza to all of you." He gave Marco an envelope. "I can't do more for you right now, I have to go. Jake is in there." He pointed at the living room door and we went in. I think Jake was asleep. I walked over to him. Bruises, big swollen wounds.

"This must have been painful" Ax said. He didn't even play with the words, even he was too shocked to act normal. He was standing somewhere in the room. I don't know where I was busy looking on what Tom had done when I was out having fun. I placed my hand on Jake's cheek. He opened his eyes and looked at me, then I felt I should say something.

"How do you feel?" He gave me a weak smile and looked around. I could see that he didn't expect to see Ax, Tobias and Erek there. Marco laughed when he saw were his best friend was looking.

"As you see you scared up all of us" he made a silly gesture and smiled.

Jake sat up and I embraced and hugged him

"And you almost scared Cassie out of her wits…" I heard Marco continue. Jake wrapped his arms around me and hugged me back. Then he just lied there in my arms and listened to Marco.


	21. Jake 5

**Jake**

When I woke up and saw Cassie's face it was like all the terrible things I had been through last 24 hours was over. I admit that I was a little surprised to see Tobias and Ax there, and Erek in addition, but I was too tired to care.

I was feeling quite ashamed too. Only some weeks ago I had told Cassie that a leader wasn't allowed to let others know if they were afraid. And had I done? I had run straight to Marco cried and been so hysterical that they had to call a doctor in the middle of the night.

And now when Cassie was there all I did was to stay there in her arms where no one could hurt me. And then I realized that I was crying again, and that made me even more ashamed. But as there was nothing I could to about it I just leaned against her and let her console me. After I had been physical and psychological assaulted by Tom for several hours and drugged by the ambulance staff, I needed a little comfort even if I were some kind of leader. Then I was aware of Marco again.

"You should have seen Cassie when she told Tom off" he said. "She slapped him in his face, and that sound just had to be audible on the moon. I am sure that even Ax's family could have heard it and wondered what it was.

"Marco it's impossible for the sound to travel that far…" Ax tried to say, but before he had finished, everyone was laughing. I lay down on the sofa again and looked from Cassie to Marco.

"Marco, did Cassie really abuse Tom?" I asked a bit worried.

"Right in front of Chapman and Visser 3."

"And then Tobias came to the school and did the same thing with Andy and Tap-Tap" Rachel said.

Marco smiled.

"Yeah, both he and Rachel drove about… every bully in the entire school crazy. But now we want to hear your story. What happened yesterday?"

Strange enough, it was quite easy to speak about it.

"Our parents wanted me to go with him to a camp with the Sharing this weekend, but I refused. And later he came to my room and started to ask me questions about morphing and Andalites…"

Then Marco came up with a new question which he had forgotten to ask about last night.

"Wait, wait, wait… Why did he ask you about those things?"

"I think it was because I had told them that I had promised Cassie to help her with the animals this weekend to be excused from this camp."

I didn't have to explain more, and no one forced me either. But there was one more thing I wanted to tell them, I just didn't dare.

Marco called for pizza and we watched some movies. Cassie took several beautiful birds feathers up from her backpack; she had found them in that zoo yesterday. There was no colour that wasn't represented in any of them. None of us had been given less then ten feathers when she had finished giving them away to the person she had been thinking about when she had found them. Even Tobias enjoyed himself. We all did, until we heard the doorbell.


	22. Rachel 5

**Rachel**

Marco went to the window and looked out. "It's Tom" he said. Jake began to shake at the same time as he tried to seem brave in front of the rest of us. But I have known him all my life, I know when he is scared.

"What are we doing now Jake?" I asked. The doorbell rang again.

"Go out to him and ask him what he wants so he can leave me alone then" I nodded, went out from the room and closed the door. Then I opened the door and just stare into Tom's eyes.

"Eh hi… is Jake there? I just wanted to apologize for what I did to him." I was still just watching him without a word, so he continued. "I did… and said many things yesterday that I'm not very proud of today Rachel, please can I talk with him?" I listened to what he said and sighed finally.

"I will ask him, can you wait here for a moment?" I went back to the others.

"Jake, Tom says he wants to apologize" Jake laid down on one of the pillows he had got from Marco's dad and sighed. "Do you have energy to meet him?" He sat up again.

"Yes, if all of you, my parents, your mum, Cassie's parents, Marco's dad and Mr Chapman is here too." Marco stood up.

"Chapman, why Chapman?"

"To make Tom believe he did a big mistake" Jake explained. "If he believes I trust Chapman he will never try anything like this again."

"Yeah, but what Rachel asked for was if you had strength to meet him?" Cassie resisted. But Jake had recovered completely from the first shock. "I have! He said, but I noticed that he also avoided looking at Cassie.

"All right" I said "Can I go out to tell Tom?" Jake didn't say anything more so I went back to Tom.

"Ok Tom, it's this way. Jake wants to listen to you, but only if you can bring your parents, my mum, I can ask her myself, and Cassie's parents, Marco's dad and Mr Chapman. Do you think you can make all of them come here by five o'clock? Tom nodded and disappeared. And I went back in to call my mum, she promised to arrive at five. Then I went back to the others to tell them.

"All right, now we do this way!" I said when I had finished, "First, all of us will promise not to leave this room no matter what's happening, and then we clean those scraps of pizza away. I, Cassie, Marco, Ax, Erek and Tobias assists each other with that and Jake, you try to sleep. Any questions?" Marco's arm flew into the air. "Yes?"

"I can't help you carry the scraps to the kitchen!"

"Why not?" I said and cave Marco a dangerous gaze. He smiled. "I would be forced to leave the room and you just said we would promise that we wouldn't do that, right?" This time I just had to laugh at Marco's jokes. Jake laughed too and I thought that was quite important. Then we cleaned up at the same time as Jake was resting as much as he could.

Five o'clock Tom came back with the people Jake had asked for. And another person. I saw him through the window when they came. Visser 3.


	23. Rachel 6

**Rachel**

I ran in to the others and told them.

"What are we going to do now? Is it possible that they have made controllers of all our parents and made them come here to kill us all?" Marco asked. Jake started to shake again. Then Erek came up with the perfect solution.

"Let me open the door" everyone looked at him.

"Let me open the door!" he said again, "they think I'm one of them so if they are suspecting anything they will tell me, giving me some orders or something." Marco was still nervous.

"What if they actually _give_ you orders then?" Erek thought about this for a while. "I'll tell them that Jake is upstairs in your room, he got headache and wanted to sleep for the night, but that they can go up and talk whit him for some minutes. If you hear anyone in the stairs you have to flee" then we heard the doorbell.

They were here. Jake sat up.

"Rachel go with Erek and if they follows him upstairs you wait to last and sneak in here to warn us. But let them in now before I change my mind."

I heard the despair in his voice so I did as he said and closed the door behind me before he could call us back. Then Erek and I just stood there silent until the doorbell rang again.

Erek opened.

"Hi!" Tom greeted, "Chapman was in a meeting with another bigwig of the Sharing so he brought him too. Maybe you should ask Jake if it's all right."

I felt really relieved, even if I didn't showed it. I looked at Erek.

"Do you think we can trust this man?" I pointed at Visser 3. Erek didn't really have a choice but I could see that he was relieved too.

"Yeah, we can. Besides, the more the better", we let them in and then I heard Marco's dad sigh.

"Is there really room for everyone in there?" But we went in, all of us.


	24. Jake 6

**Jake**

Cassie had put her arm around me again, and I felt little better when everyone came in, despite Visser 3's unexpected visit.

Tom came last, ordered by Rachel.

For a long moment he was just standing there looking at me.

"Jake… I did many things to you yesterday which I really regret now. I just… wanted you to know that I'm very sorry for this, I am not in the least is very proud of myself. And I know maybe it's no point to… and you surely have no reason to believe me, but I hope that you can take my word on that this will never happen again."

He had been staring doggedly at the floor while he had spoken, but now he looked up. And I had still not morphed my injuries away. I had one black eye and two stitched wounds in my face and bruises everywhere.

I had bruises on my neck too, from when he had tried to strangle me. Tom looked straight through my eyes.

"I'm sorry!" I turned away from him some seconds and then I looked at him again.

"Tom, I don't want to be afraid of you… can you tell me what happened yesterday… from the beginning" This time it was Tom who turned away.

"I know this sounds stupid Jake, but I had a very tough day yesterday and then you seemed so hostile to the Sharing. And then I ended up hurting you." I felt sick, very sick.

"And how am I supposed to know that you don't get more bad days in the future?"

"Because I promised you" he was looking at me again. "Can you forgive me?" I looked down again. I nodded, but I didn't really know if I could forgive him. And then Tom reminded me about the thing I didn't dare to tell my friends some hours earlier.

"Shouldn't you apologize to me too?" I looked surprised on him.

"Should I apologize to you?!"

"Didn't you say something like: "Go back to your own planet and give me my real brother back" yesterday?"

Suddenly I had all my friends' eyes on me. Looking at me like they didn't knew if they had heard right. Visser 3 was also staring at me but Chapman held him back. I choose not to care about the others, I just stared back at Tom. I was crying again, and before I knew I had yelled at him.

"My real brother would never have treated me like you did yesterday" I didn't wait to see the reactions. I hid my face in the pillows and cried.

I heard my dad tell the others to leave and finally only he and mum was left. They tried to console me but I didn't listen. All I wanted was to explain to Cassie and the others why I had said this to Tom.


	25. Cassie 4

**Cassie**

We left Jake with his parents. Tom was sitting in the stairs outside Marco's home and sighed. Marco was watching him and suddenly he exclaimed something.

"You know Tom, Jake was right, you really did act as you came from another planet yesterday" Tom looked up at him.

"We were just playing a stupid game that he didn't understand, nothing else" Rachel laughed.

"And the meaning of that game is to kill each other, is that right?"

"I just asked him what he was thinking when I said andalite" Tom suddenly smiled and looked at me. "What do you think when you hear that word Cassie?" I was ready, Jake hade told us about this. I pretended to think.

"Andalite… I think it sounds like… a kind of rock. A volcanic rock." Marco who immediately got what I tried to do continued.

"No, no, no it's a plant, which had just been affected by a big huge red and green monster bug" Rachel stared sceptically at him.

"No, I think Cassie is closer to the truth this time. By the way, what is an andalite Tom?" Tom was quiet, but Ax tried again.

"Come on, what is it? What do you think?" Rachel gave him a signal that it was time to calm down.

"You don't mean that you did this to Jake because of some stupid made-up-word, do you?"

"I don't know why I acted as I did yesterday Rachel but I will not do it again, I promise!"

Strange enough I slept quite well that night. I had no nightmares about Jake sitting alone in a corner, crying as Tom tried to hurt him. And even stranger was that Jake didn't have any nightmares.

All of us had forgiven him for telling Tom to go back to his own planet.

But it took several weeks before he dared to go back home again. And in the first time he only staid for a while with Marco and his dad.

Jake said that he wanted Tom to believe that he was scared, but he didn't really fool anyone. We knew that he still was scared that Tom would get some relapse. And I think he knew that we knew too.

It took five month before Marco started to tell jokes about all this.

Jake had only lived at his own home for two weeks then.

And it took two more weeks before Jake started to laugh at Marco's jokes about Tom running amok in his room trying to tear his neck of…

Okay, the jokes wasn't really that brutal…

I'm just happy that all this ended up as well as it did.

The end

**Finally I just want to apologize for my language. ****I have never been any star in English, but I have really given you the best I can do. Thanks for reading.**

**Miripzie**


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